wit wisdom and food

celebrating shared meals

look who came to dinner

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Great new cookbooks are like having trusted friends over for dinner. They are an imaginary friend around the table, look who came to dinner at my house. My new dinner companions are an eclectic group of chefs, eaters, and storytellers. For Christmas, I got quite the collection of cookbooks. Hugh Acheson, Rick Bayless, Ruth Reichl and Audrey Hepburn’s son are my new companions for planning dinner.

Since we are on our Whole 30 adventure to start of the year I haven’t been able to cook from them much yet, but that actually hasn’t been all bad. It is extremely tempting, but it is encouraging me to read them like books. Not all cookbooks are set up to be read like a novel, but my favorites are and a few of these have even made it to my nightstand as evening reading. A turn of events that has my husband thinking I am a little obsessed. [Read more…]

mexican pizza

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Sometimes and idea comes to you and you just have to go with it. I was leaving work one day, tired as usual but needed a quick dinner. We recently got these new pre-baked pizza crusts and we loved them the first time so it was my starting point. When I remembered I had leftover beans in the freezer the rest came together quickly. I bought a backup plan meal though in case Tom wasn’t as enthusiastic about my new creation. The mexican pizza turned out amazing though and will be made itself a spot in our regular rotation.

mexican-pizza

Here is what we used:

  • Pre-baked pizza crust, something like boboli
  • refried beans
  • pre-cooked meat; chicken, carnitas
  • cheese
  • avocado
  • cilantro

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to package instructions
  2. put a layer of beans on top of crust and top with your favorite toppings
  3. bake in oven until cheese is melted
  4. Enjoy

mexican-pizza2

This make for a great use of leftovers if you just had tacos a few nights before or just grab all the ingredients at the store and you can have dinner on the table 20 minutes after you get home. Everyone can even make their own. That is what we did and mine was of course declared the winner!

What easy dinners have you created that surprised you?

 

Hello Little Home

Born into the wrong culture

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I have always wanted to be something that I am not. The two things I wish that I could be right now are southern and Mexican. There is something about the food culture and camaraderie that those groups have that I want for myself. I don’t want to speak Spanish or have a thick accent but I do want to eat and celebrate the way they do. Large celebrations for the smallest rite of passage made complete with large amounts of family and great simple food. I can’t imagine anything better than that. I can’t create the family part of either of these cultures but I can certainly try to cook like them.
Both of these cuisines have strong flavors with simple ingredients. All put into recipes that create enough food for an army. That part does present a little problem. What am I going to do with all of this food that I will be making? My freezer is either going to get really full or my friends are going to really get tired of Mexican and southern food. We shall see which happens first.
I am currently enamored with southern food. I seek out restaurants all over the city that have a home cooking of southern theme so I can try southern food that I never had growing up. I have found I love greens, catfish and oxtails. Fried Chicken and meatloaf are dishes I never get bored with eating.
I can already make a mean meatloaf and a tasty mac and cheese so tonight’s challenge was oxtails and grits. First attempt at grits really didn’t go so well though I am convinced it is because I had the wrong cornmeal. Oxtails smell great but have another 20 minutes until I get to put the finishing touches on them so hopefully tonight ends with a .500 average.